Rolling mills



May 6," 1969 I ROLLING MILLS Filed July 29, 1965 INVENTOR LUCIEN DIOLOT DIOLOT 3,442,109

Sheet of 10 May 6, 1969 L. DIOLOT 3,442,109

ROLLING MILLS Filed July 29, 1965 Sheet 3 of 10 HG. In

HG. lb

INVENTOR LUCIEN DIOLOT V M y ,1 L. DIOLOT 3,442,109 I ROLLING MILLS Filed July 29, lss Sheet or 10 FIG.2

INVENTOR LUClEN DlOLOT ROLLING MILLS Filed July 29, 1965 Sheet 4 0:10

FIG.3

INVENTOR LUCIEN DIOLO'IT L. DIOLOT ROLLING MILLS May 6,1969

5 oflO Sheet Filed July 29, 1965 FIG.4

y 1969 I DIOLOT 3,442,109

ROLLING MILLS Filed July 29, 1965 Sheet 7 of 10 INVENTOR LUCIEN DIOLOT y 6, 1969 1.. DIOLOT J 3,442,109

ROLLING MILLS Filed July 29, 1965 sheet 8 of 10 INVENTOR LUCIEN D'IOJLOT y 96 L. DIOLOT 3,442,109 3 ROLLING MILLS Filed July 29, '1965 Sheet 9 of 10 INVENTOR LUCIEN DIULOT May 6, 1969 Filed July 29, 1965 L. DIOLOT ROLLING MILLS FIG.9

Sheet 01710 INVENTOR LUCIEN DIOLOT United States Patent US. Cl. 72240 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention relates to a rolling mill construction in which the back-up rolls that are disposed on opposite sides of work-engaging rolls may be caused to have a rocking movement in a vertical plane through a power operated means which extends parallel to the axes of the back-up rolls so that a product having accurate tolerances may be produced.

The present invention concerns rolling mills, particularly of the four-high type in which it is possible to vary the initial convexity imparted to the Working rolls for the purpose of improving the flatness of the rolled products, despite the opposite action created by the separating force exerted by the product being produced on the rolls during rolling.

In the rolling of steel, it has been found that there are six factors to be considered, namely: the temperature of the steel during the rolling, the chemical composition of the metal, the speed at which the rolls are revolved, the draft in each pass, the shape or design of each pass, and the diameter of the rolls. Furthermore, these factors should be considered from three dilferent standpoints of power, or energy, required to deform the steel; their eifect upon the rolling properties of the metal, that is, the way it will spread, bend, and flow in the rolls; and their effect on the quality of the finished product.

It has long since been found that in rolling plates and sheets on two-high or three-high mills, it is difi'icult to hold the plate to uniform thickness throughout its width, thus the four-high mill was developed to overcome this dimculty. In this mill the plate or sheet is rolled between two hard chill rolls, both of which are driven. Each of these two working rolls is reinforced by a larger roll, known as the back-up or stiffening roll, placed one directly above the top working roll and one directly below the bottom working roll.

Prior hereto attempts have been made to furnish a prefectly fiat sheet or plate by applying a corrective force to the coupling of the working rolls to thus overcome the convexity imparted thereto by the rolled products, this being achieved by impressing the edges of the working rolls into the back-up rolls to a greater or lesser extent.

In accordance with this invention, it is proposed to cause limited rocking movement in the vertical plane containing the axes of the back-up rolls, thereby applying uniform pressure to the working rolls which are in engagement with the product being produced thereby.

Accordingly, it is the principal object of this invention to provide a four-high mill construction including journaling means adapted to support the opposite ends of each of the back-up rolls and exert pressure upon said means through a power operated means which extends parallel to the axes of said back-up rolls.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus in which at least one longitudinally extending power operated means is disposed between chocks, adapted to support the bearing means of each back-up roll, said first-named means extending parallel to the axis of said back-up roll, whereas the reaction necessary for the force exerted by this power operated means is obtained by at least one additional member, which is disposed either on the side opposite to the longitudinally extending power operated means that is supported in relation to the roll or on each journal of said back-up roll.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an arrangement whereby means defining openings in the chock means are adapted to receive, and have extended freely therethrough, the power operated means which are associated with additional means carried at the end of the back-up rolls and adapted to cause deflection thereof upon pressure being applied thereto.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a construction which enables the axes of the back-up rolls to be deflected within suitable limits without applying any strain upon the roll stand.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from the ensuing specification taken in conjunction with the drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a horizontal view partially in section and partially in elevation showing one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 1a is a schematic drawing of the critical elements constituting the invention shown in FIG. 1 when the rolling mill is inoperative;

FIG. 1b is an exaggerated view of the structural elements depicted schematically in FIG. 1a when pressure is applied to the cylinder;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal view partially in section and partially in elevation of a further embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view on line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a horizontal view partially in section and partially in elevation showing still another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a horizontal view partially in section and partially in elevation of still a further embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view on line 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a horizontal view partially in elevation and partially in section showing an additional embodiment. of the invention; and

FIG. 9 is a sectional view on line 9-9 of FIG. 8.

Turning now to the drawing and particularly FIG. 1, there is illustrated a horizontal view partially in section and partially in elevation of a four-high rolling mill of a relatively standard design into which the present invention has been incorporated.

Four-high mills, as is well known, are of various sizes depending upon the product being rolled. However, they are all of substantially the same design and include opposed windowed stands within which is positioned the back-up rolls and the power driven work-engaging rolls with all of the rolls being provided with suitable bearings and chocks. Quite often the chocks of the lower back-up or stilfening roll are raised or lowered by hydraulic force, whereas it is also possible to provide the hydraulic force to the upper back-up roll or, then again, this may be achieved through a pressure electric motor. None of these features are of particular importance to the present invention except that the mill to which this teaching is most adaptable is of the four-high type.

Since the four-high mill illustrated includes upper and lower back-up or stiffening rolls, as well as the conventional pair of work-engaging rolls and thus have duplicated elements between which the product is permitted to pass, only one-half of the mill will be discussed, since the improvement to be described herein is applied to the support means for both the upper and lower back-up rolls.

The front view of the mill, generally denoted as 10, includes the customary windows 11 (FIG. 2) within each of which is positioned the chocks 14-14 which shroud the inner support bearings 15-15 and the outer bearings 16-16 as well as the conventional intermediate spacing means 17-17 therefor. The stem portions 18-18 of each back-up roll 19 is suit-ably threaded to receive bearingaligning pressure applying means 20-20.

It is apparent from the drawing that the weight of the back-up roll 19 is supported at its diametrically opposite ends in the stand 10.

The chocks 1414 include outwardly extending integral collar portions, the inner circumference of which contains liners 21-21 within which the outer bearings 16-16 and spacing means 17-17 are confined.

The upstanding opposed walls 22-22 of the chocks 1414 include horizontally spaced opposed apertured ear means 23-23 (only one each shown) to which are pivotally secured by any suitable means longitudinally extending connecting rod means 24-24, the aligned free end portions of which are provided with complemental piston 25 and cylinder means 26.

Each of the chocks 14-14 is provided with saddle portions 27-27 (FIG. 2) which are adapted to contain the bearings 28-28 that support the opposite end stem portions of the work-engaging roll 29.

The chocks 1414 are also provided with spaced ears 30-30 (one shown on each chock) and to each of which is secured an apertured rod 31 reaction means that will provide a reverse moment force which will be best understood as the description progresses in connection with FIGS. 1a and 1b.

FIG. 1a is a schematic showing of a portion of the backup roll 19, its chocks 14-14 and the reaction means 31, the opposite ends of which are pivotally secured to the chocks. In this view it is to be understood that the mechanism is in an inoperative position with no pressure exerted on the piston 25 in cylinder 26.

Referring now to the exaggerated schematic drawing FIG. 112, it will be noted that pressure is being exerted on the piston 25 through pressure line 32 and as a consequence the back-up roll is shown as being bent by reason of a moment which is reverse to normal pressures applied to the roll 19 as a strip travels through the mill. The arrows F-F depict the equal and opposite forces which are exerted by the piston when pressure is emitted to the cylinder.

Thus, in view of the above it will be understood that by introducing pressure from a power source (not shown) into the conduit 32 the piston is moved to the left, as viewed in the drawing, thereby placing the chocks 14-14 under traction at which time the ends of the back-up roll 19 will be deflected upwardly. It will be apparent that to reverse the pressure by releasing that previously introduced through conduit 32 and then applying compression to the front of the piston 25, through conduit 33, the ends of the roll 19 will be deflected downwardly.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 there is shown another form of the four-high mill in which the rod means 31 utilized in the preferred form of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are eliminated. Accordingly, with the construction as shown in FIG. 3, the reaction by which the flexure is created is then exerted by the back-up roll itself through the rotary ball or roller thrust bearing 34.

The form of the invention shown in this embodiment is particularly advantageous when the design of the fourhigh mill is such that the utility of the accessories positioned therein would be defeated should the rod means 31 be included.

In the views of FIGS. 2 and 4 it will be noted that the deflecting means comprising the power means and longitudinally extending connecting rods include parallel spaced means, however, such an arrangement is arbitrary it being only material that the power means and its associated mechanism be capable of exerting suflicient force to deflect the back-up roll and, thus, a centrally positioned power operated means would be acceptable.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 5 is adaptable to existing as well as new rolling mill installations. As illustrated the conventional chocks 50-50 provided with hearing means 51-51 are perforated at 52-52 thus providing means defining openings through which the longitudinally extending connecting rod means 24a-24a are adapted to extend and have their apertured end portions 53-53 secured by means of pins to the upstanding flanges 54-54 of the journalling means 55-55. The journalling members are provided with allochiral pairs of bearings rotatably receiving the oifstanding opposite end portions of the back-up roll 19. In this embodiment, the bearings 51-51 that support the rolling mill load remain completely independent of the flexure forces and do not contribute in any manner whatsoever to the fiexure forces that are exerted upon the back-up roll than if they were non-existent. The chock means 50-50, due to the manner in which they are supported, can oscillate freely to adapt themselves to the inclination of the journal of the roll, as is customary with any assembly of this type.

In FIG. 6, there is shown still another embodiment of the invention that is also adaptable to existing as well as new rolling mill installations. As disclosed in FIG. 5, the conventional chocks 50-50 are provided with hearing means 51-51 and perforated at 52-52, thus, also providing means defining openings through which the longitudinally extending rod means 24a-24a are adapted to extend. Whereas, in FIG. 5 the ends of the rods are provided with eyes, as shown, the free ends of rods 24b24b as illustrated in FIG. 6, are equipped with stirrup shaped members 60-60 to one surface of which are firmly fastened opposed pairs of rotatable rollers 61-61; 61a-61a and 62-62; 62a-62a (only one each shown) that are adapted to straddle annuli 63-63 which are in turn securely attached to the reduced or necked down portions of the back-up rolls 19".

Thus, with such an arrangement it will be apparent that the back-up roll 19" together with its annuli are free to rotate without obstruction, but that upon pressure being exerted upon the power means shown at 64 the combined force of the rollers will be transmitted to the annuli 63-63 and thereby deflect the extremities of the back-up roll 19" in either an upward or downward direction depending upon whether the forces applied to the power means is either compressive or tractive.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the embodiment of the invention on line 7-7 of FIG. 6 and previously described in connection therewith and more clearly shows the construction and arrangement of the paired rollers 61-61 which are rotatably supported in the stirrup shaped member 60.

Turning at this time to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 wherein another type of strain-member means is shown and now described in more detail, it will be observed that the chocks 70-70 are also provided with saddle portions 71-71, which straddle the work-engaging roller bearings as described hereinbefore and include diametrically opposed pairs of ears at 72-72 (one shown). As best seen in FIG. 9, rods 73-73 are positioned wtihin the perforations in the oifstanding ears 72-72 and are provided adjacent to their extremities with relatively small rollers 74-74 and 75-75 (one shown), the perimeters of each of which are adapted to engage the confronting walls of the stand 10. Thus, in view of the foregoing it will be understood that reactive forces created by the power means, as described in connection with the other embodiments of the invention disclosed herein, will be transmitted by the chocks 70-70 through the horizontally extending rods 73-73 to the rollers 74-74 and 75-75, thence to the walls of the stand.

Although several embodiments of the invention have been depicted and described, it will be apparent that these embodiments are illustrative in nature and that a number of modifications in the apparatus and variations in its end use may be etTected without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

That which is claimed is:

1. In a rolling mill, a housing, a pair of working rolls, a pair of chocks for each of said rolls slidably mounted in suitable openings provided in said housing, at least one supporting roll for each of said working rolls, said supporting roll having an enlarged diameter roll body and necks extending from the ends thereof, roll adjusting means secured to the necks of and for raising and lowering at least one of said supporting rolls and controllable pressure applying means operably engaged with the necks of and extending parallel to the supporting rolls for imposing upon said supporting rolls a contour controlling bending moment on the neck adjacent to said roll adjusting means whereby on the application of pressure of said rolls by said controllable pressure applying means said rolls will be deflected to compensate for any deflection thereof and of the working rolls incident to forces imposed thereon during a rolling operation so as to provide a uniform pass across the width of said work rolls.

2. In a rolling mill as claimed in claim 1, wherein the roll adjusting means are secured to said chocks.

3. In a rolling mill as claimed in claim 2, wherein said chocks are arranged to have extending therebetween and in opposition to the pressure means a reaction means for applying a reaction force to said chocks upon action of said pressure means.

4. In a rolling mill as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pressure means comprises hydraulic jack means having a cylinder operably connected by a rod to one of said necks and a piston operably connected by a rod to the other of said necks of said supporting roll.

5. In a rolling mill as claimed in claim 1, wherein the adjusting means associated with the necks of the supporting rolls extend through means defining openings in said chocks.

6. In a rolling mill as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said chocks is provided with reaction means, the reactive force of which is applied against the rolling mill housing upon actuation of said pressure applying means.

7. In a rolling mill as claimed in claim 5, wherein the necks of said supporting rolls further include bearing means outboard of said chocks, said pressure applying means being associated wtih said bearing means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3 81,746 4/ 1888 Wright 72-245 2,365,831 12/1944 Mogiljonsky 72-245 2,611,150 9/1952 Goulding 72-245 2,897,538 8/ 1959 Shipiro et al. 72-245 3,250,105 5/ 1966 Stone 72-243 3,171,305 3/1965 Stone 72-245 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner. A. RUDERMAN, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 72-243 2 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION parent; NE), 3,442,109 Dated May 6, 1969 Inventor(s) Lucien DiOlQt It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In Column 1, line 52, "pre" should read per- In Column 3, line 29, after the numeral "31" the word or should be inserted. In Column 3, line 30, the word "force" should be deleted.

SIGNED AND SEALED FEB 3 1970 (SEAL) Attest:

WILLIAM E. S CIHUYLER, JR. Edward M. Hatchet, Jr. Commissioner of Patents Attesting ()fficer 

